Rain: A Manifesto
by venomsixx
Summary: The life of the mysterious Rain. Through his eyes, he tells us what he went through in his days a a child, his time with Kahn, and his life through and after...
1. Introduction

**Rain: **_**A Manifesto **_

_Introduction_

You have most likely heard many things about me. I am known as the traitor of my own realm who will do anything to be on the winning side. We always have to point our fingers at someone don't we? I know some people hate me and would like to see my head on a spike for some of the things that I have done. My life is not as simple as what you have heard. I have lived through many dark times… many grim times. I have been terrified, heartbroken, devastated, traitorous, and have found new means of living.

The new age of the realms is soon to be enacted. I am but a representative of a new and greater cause. What I am about to tell you is the true tale of my life through my own eyes. This is my rage, my motives, my point of view, my story… my manifesto…


	2. My Beginning

**Rain: **_A Manifesto_

_My Beginning _

My memories of my childhood in Edenia are few and far between. I can remember the trees, the wind and the mountains… I can briefly remember my mother and father, although only in appearance. My clearest memory of Edenia is when Kahn invaded the realm. I remember a hand grabbing my arm and dragging me through the Edenian Fields. The man who was dragging me away was an elite Edenian soldier. We reached a portal to another realm, and he began to open it. We both turned around, and watched our realm burn into oblivion. He held my hand as the portal opened.

Running down the field, was a band of tarkatans. They saw us and charged. "GO!" he yelled to me as he charged the band of mutants. "Go child! Get in the portal!" I listened to him, even though I didn't have the slightest clue what was going on. As I stepped into portal, I looked back one last time, and the tarkatans had slit the Edenian soldier's throat. Two of the tarkatans were bathing in the blood, while the other four charged towards me. I disappeared into the portal and found myself in a small village.

I didn't know where I was or what to do. The sky was a dark purple, with a volcanic orange glow above me. A tear fell from my eye, and I collapsed to the ground.

I awoke in an old, but soft bed. "Rest now child." I heard a comforting voice say. I looked to my left and saw an elderly woman was stirring tea. She took a spoonful and put it directly into my mouth.

"Where am I?" I asked as my voice was cracking.

"You are on the eastern shore of Outworld." She said smiling at me. "I saw you knocked out cold by the hill." She fed me another spoonful of tea. "Where do you come from?"

"I don't know… everything… everything burned. I… I…"

"Shhhh now." She whispered as she pulled the sheets over me. Just sleep.

I awoke the next morning and walked into the kitchen where the elderly lady was cooking breakfast. "Good to see you up lad." She said as smiling at me. "I'm cooking ravenbloge."

Whatever that was, it looked good. It was some sort of meat that she was cooking on a stone stove.

"Take a walk around outside if you want child." She told me as she was flipping this Outworld dish up in the air. "I'll call you when the food is ready.

I took a walk outside and stared at the Outworld sky. It was overwhelming. That sky was so dark, but with an orange glow from these volcanoes that were constantly active. I had a deep sadness buried inside me that I wished to be rid of. I looked at the deep and long ocean and walked over to it.

I sat on the shoreline and just stared into the dark water. I began to sob as I thought about what had happened the day before. Although I was too young to understand, seeing so much death made me feel destroyed on the inside. I just didn't understand why someone would do that to my home. My grief turned to anger as my thoughts carried on and I slapped the water with all of my might. What happened next astonished me…

There was a stream of water, just following my hand around wherever I moved it. "Huh?" I said to myself. The water just stayed in formation as if I was controlling a small river. I span my hand in circles, and even shook it consistently, but it just kept following my lead. Slowly, my grief turned into amusement. I began to laugh as I held this stream out in front of me.

"Breakfast is ready lad." The lady yelled to me. My concentration was broken, and the stream of water fell. I got up and ran back to the old ladies home. It was quite a cozy shoreline cabin. I walked in, and the meal she prepared was at the table.

"Have a seat." The old lady mumbled as she pointed to the opposite head of the table.

We sat down and both began to eat. "You're a child of few words aren't you?" She asked with a mouthful of food. When I look back today, I realize she was pretty laid back for an old woman.

"Um…Yeah." I answered awkwardly.

"Well, how old are you?"

"Five, miss."

"Good age." She said. "When my son was five, he used to love ravenbloge."

"It is very good." I said with a neutral expression on my face.

"Yeah, he's grown up. He now works for the emperor. I'm very proud of him." She said with a half grin. "So where is your family?" She asked me, as she burped.

I looked down. "I… I don't know."

"Well where are you from?"

I looked up, and tried to think. "Umm… E… Edenia."

She looked up to the heavens. "Edenia…" she whispered to herself, before everything became quiet for several moments. I still to this day don't know what she was thinking.

"Well, you are welcome to stay in my home if you wish. I wouldn't send a child with nowhere to go into the depths of Outworld." She said smiling. "Just so you know, this realm is dangerous, so you should try to stay in this area."

"I can do that." I said as I took another bite of food.

"I'm Secayda by the way. What is your name young one?"

I blanked out for a moment… all of the sudden; everything in my life had taken a turn. The life I had back in Edenia was gone. Although I was young, I knew a change had come. I had forgotten my real name, and all I could think of was my experience when I was dragging the water. "Rain." I said proudly. "My name is Rain."


	3. When Life Was Simple

**Rain**_**: A Manifesto**_

_When Life Was Simple_

_**  
**_I grew up as a peasant on the mainland of Outworld. Only wealthy Outworlders were aloud schooling; so I spent most of my day working for Secayda. She had a small field of crops that she sold annually.

As a young child, I worked in the field for a majority of time. Dusting, cleaning, fertilizing, planting… it wasn't my kind of work. One day, it was very hot, and our old irrigation channels went dry. Secayda gave me a bucket and told me to run to the well to get some water for the crops. "Enough for ALL of them!" She yelled as I began to walk toward the well.

The well was nearly half a mile down the shore and after two or three trips, I was beat. I threw the bucket against the sand in frustration and leaned over the well. "Time to do this my way," I whispered to myself. I had been practicing manipulating water for a while now; but never more than a few drops. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the well. Nothing crossed my mind but that water below me…

Little by little, the water started to rise from the well to above my hands. "YES!" I yelled, feeling like an unstoppable force. I gathered enough water to feed the rest of the crop and managed to levitate it all the way back to Secayda's house.

I made the water descend on top of the crops. My task was successful. I walked to the front of the house, and sat on the front porch grinning in pride. Secayda then walked outside, first looking at the moist crops in bewilderment, then at me oddly. "Rain, that was… fast."

"Too easy."

She continued to stare at me, as she walked back inside mumbling to herself. I just stretched and smiled as I watched the burning Outworld sky. Most people find Outworld's welkin to be dreadful, destructive, terrifying. To me, it is beautiful. It is always moving and changing shades of color. It is a wonder of the universe... simply sitting above the heads of Outworld inhabitants. To me, the sky of Outworld is the vault of heaven.

By the time I was about ten, I started to go into town with Secayda to sell the crops. I treasured it greatly… for it was usually the only contact with other people I had at the time, besides Secayda of course. I was no salesmen. I've never been very good with negotiations, much less about plants. The small town didn't care much for mediocre fruit at double the price of the general market anyway. Secayda and I tried every year anyway though.

If you didn't already know, us Edenians age very differently from Earthrealm inhabitants. Our childhood lasts about the same time as an earthrealmer. Our teenage appearance lasts about two-hundred years. Young adulthood lasts a very long time… usually until we are about twenty-five thousand. Middle age lasts until roughly forty thousand. Old age ranges from about forty thousand to death. Yes, it is complicated… but my point being: we live longer and age in different paces.

By the time I was fifteen, I could not only manipulate water, but create it out of thin air, right in the palm of my hand. It took hours of practice every day, but I knew I had it in me. Eventually, my work paid off and I had mastered my supernatural ability.

It was around this time that I revealed my gift to Secayda. To my surprise, she wasn't amazed. In fact, she wasn't the slightest bit aghast. "Talents of this nature tend to belong to warriors." She uttered calmly as she placed her hand on my shoulder. "Use it well." She then walked steadily back into the house mumbling to herself like she always was. I think she always knew.

Not a fortnight later, I noticed Secayda sitting by the small fireplace looking unusually cheerless. "Why the vexation?" I asked as I sat in the rocking chair next to hers.

"Nothing, my boy." She said as she leaned forward slowly and steadily.

"Secayda, what's on your mind?"

She sighed, and with a large amount of regret in her voice murmured, "I'm broke Rain. I can't get by with selling crops anymore. I can hardly afford food for me, let alone the both of us. I have to sell the land and house."

I just couldn't let her do that. She loved that house so much and had lived there almost her entire life. As she sat back in her chair again with a tear slowly running down her cheek, a thought came to me. She was always talking about how her husband used to be a fisherman before he died. What if I could catch some fish and sell them so Secayda could keep her home?

"I'll fish!" I told her as I stood from the rocking chair with a half grin.

"Rain, you don't know how. I don't either, and it's not as if I can afford lessons."

"What can there be to it?"

"Skill, Practice, and luck… three qualities which you tend to lack." She stuttered jokingly. "Pole's in the shack lad. You better get started."

I ran out to the shed with all the pride in the world. NOTHING was stopping me from catching some fish. The fishing pole was an old, beat up peace of wood. I grabbed the rod, a large net, and some worms from the soil outside the shed. I then ran to the small boat in the dock.

I rowed out about 100 meters or so and dropped my line in the water with a worm on the hook. My first few tries, I snagged seaweed, got my line tangled, and dropped my pole time and time again. After several hours with no bites, I started to get sea sick. I was just getting ready to give up when I got a bite. I got excited and brought in this fish. I was expecting something big, but it was nothing more than a baby bottom feeder.

"DAMNIT!" I yelled at the top of my lungs as I threw the frightened fish back into the sea. "Enough of this!" I screamed, preparing to attempt a stunt that could have a horrible outcome.

I levitated the water off the ocean surface, slowly and slowly lifting more water above my head. I started digging a liquid hole deeper into the surface, until I noticed a school of large fish swimming outside my world pool. I knew that was the catch of the day, lying right in front of me. I moved my black hole of the sea over the fish, and when they span around the boat, I stuck out my net at least ten fish came flying directly into it. I released my hold on the water, and the force of it hitting the boat made me fall backwards. I moved my head back and forth blinking my eyes. I then looked to my left and saw a net that was full of fish that were flopping around. "YES!!!" I roared as I felt the adrenalin of my success flow through my blood. I stood up and again shouted, "YES!!!" Rocking the boat back in forth in all my excitement.

I brought this net full of fish to shore. Secayda was standing on the dock, and couldn't believe I did it. She ran over too me, yelling all sorts of different things at me. She hugged me, and told me that I was simply amazing.

After this load was sold off, I kept bringing fish in. I was getting better and better at it each and every time. After only a few months, I was bringing in entire schools of fish. Not only was Secayda no longer broke, but she was able to buy things for herself to enjoy. She took me to the temple of the elder gods (yes, in Outworld, you have to pay a fee to worship). I was always moved by the ceremonies. They would consist of four priests in red robes chanting ancient prayers. I directed most of my worship to the Elder God of Water. I prayed for strength, knowledge, and mastery of this element that The Elder Gods had graciously given me.

Secayda and I started going to the temple weekly. She was a true believer. Most of the town didn't have any belief at all, considering how few people went to the temple. One time, when we were walking home from the temple, I asked her; "Secayda, why do The Elder Gods allow so much corruption? The priests always say they are all loving and all caring."

"The Elder Gods allow what to happen because it is what their wish…"

"But why all the chaos and destruction?" I asked as she stopped walking and turned to me, placing her hand on my shoulder.

"Rain… The Elder Gods prefer to allow the future to rest in our hands. They want mortals to grasp what is reality and change it themselves. You see Rain… The Elder Gods do not wish evil upon anyone or anything… ever… no matter what happens, they are looking for the virtuous conclusion. But they yearn for us to deliver it. They yearn for us to bring equity the realms. " She then kept walking. I remembered that speech for the rest of my life. I found it… not only a satisfying answer to my question… but beautiful.

A few years later, I was walking around town one day. I heard some fishermen talking about a giant whale that they were trying to catch. A Raven Whale. Its blubber was used for all sorts of things; food, clothing, cleaning, you name it. I decided I'd give it a shot.

I rented a whaling boat and went out to sea by myself. I was out there for days, and ran out of food very quick. I was getting ready to give up, when I heard a high pitched squeal, echoing in the distance. It was then that I saw it. This whale was the largest being at had seen in my life. It was approaching me, gazing me with its piercing neon green eyes. Its colors were very odd. A dark red on top of jet black. It looked fierce and deadly.

These whales were known for knocking over small boats, so I knew I had to think fast as it was approaching me. At first, I tried smashing the ocean water into the sides of the whale with my control over water. It had little affect on the beast. I then tried some of the weapons on the boat, spears and harpoons… but it was no use. The creature was just too big.

Eventually, an idea came to me. I thought of a story I heard, of a tsunami that crashed into an island far away. I gathered my self, and concentrated my thoughts on the water. I pushed it, further and further out into the sea. The whale was getting ready to strike the boat, but just in the nick of time, I made the water come crashing down. My wave crashed over the boat and the whale started to rocket into the shore line. Unfortunately, so was I.

After a large amount of tumbling and rumbling, I beached on the rocks. I got out of the now wrecked boat, with a broken arm, and three fractured ribs. The pain however, faded away, when I saw the whale had beached as well. It hurt too bad to yell, so all I did was stand and smile. Eventually, a man came by and saw. He asked what happened. "Just bringing in the load." I said as I spit out a tooth.

I brought Secayda to see the whale, and she was excited. She then noticed my injuries and became worried. I told her everything was fine, although it was the worst pain I had ever felt, at the time anyway. After a few days, I was patched up, and Secayda sold the whale to a factory for a large amount of koins.

Secayda was now set for life, and I no longer had to do any fishing. That next year or so was one of the happiest times of my life. I had time to just live. Talk with villagers, enjoy the sea, and learn more about my gift.

On my twenty-third birthday, Secayda gave me a nice bottle of champagne. I had never consumed alcohol before, and I think Secayda was more exited about it than me. That night, Secayda and I sat on the beach and drank that bottle down. I was intoxicated very quickly, and Secayda started to wolf down the rest of the bottle. "I would have been lost without you kid." she said as she was wiping her lips.

"Are you kidding me? I would have starved to death out here if you didn't take me in. I owe you my life." I barely managed to say, as I was shaking my head around and trying to figure out this new feeling I had.

"Well if I didn't, I'd just be a dreamy young lady." She muffled as her eyes widened.

"Somehow, I don't see dreamy or a young lady." I yelled as we both started laughing like a couple of tomfools.

"Drink more kid… drink it up."

"I can't…" I barely let out, as I rubbed my head.

"Whelp, drink more!"

"Ok…" I let out as a took another swig. "Oh that's it." I calmly sighed as I handed the bottle back to Secayda.

"Fine…" she started chugging the bottle again. "What do you want to do Rain? What's your goal?"

"I don't know."

"Give me something kid… my son wanted to be in politics all of his life… and he is now. What about you?"

"Maybe something in… kombat strategy or…"

I stopped as Secayda's eyes blinked rapidly, and she gave me her little half grin. "Hmm… figured you'd say that my boy, figured you would. Whatever the Elder Gods may have in store for you Rain, it will be of great status. I know it." She then took another large gulp.

I look back on what she said that night. Sometimes, I think she was right. On other occasions, I think about what she said, and shiver because I feel I have gone the complete opposite way.

After Secayda finished the bottle, she tossed it aside, and we both went to sleep. That next morning, I woke up, and strangely, Secayda was not in the kitchen cooking. I looked around the house, and then walked into her bedroom, to see her still lying in bed. "Secayda, time to wake up." I called to her. But she didn't make a movement. I walked over to her, and put my hand on her shoulder. It was cold as ice. "Secayda…" I said again. I felt for her pulse, but it was not there.

I started to cry, but I couldn't. I told myself over and over again that I couldn't cry. I would not weep. No. Secayda was too strong for that.

I buried her behind the house and left a headstone with the words:

"The future rests only in our hands. To bring equity is a mortal's duty"

That day, I locked her house up, and hid the key under a rock by the hillside. I didn't have the heart to sell the house. Later in the evening, I took a sack of clothes and koins, and set out on my journey. My simple life was over. My time had come to bring myself within the great conflicts. Conflicts of war, terror, and treachery.


	4. Lightning From Above

**Rain: **_**A Manifesto **_

_Lightning From Above_

I set out from the land in which I considered home. After only about an hour or two, I had already gone further away from the beach side cabin than I ever had before. I camped out a few nights in desert planes and on by the bottom of hills. I ate limited amounts of the food I packed while keeping a steady pace. After Four or five nights of travel by foot, I was wayfaring through a small oasis. It was at this moment that I realized I had no clue where I was or where I was going. I took a moment to try to navigate, but nothing seemed to lead anywhere. Dark was gaining, and I needed a safe place to sleep. Outworld's depths are unsafe when dusk arrives. I walked along the outskirts of the plane in which I was hiking, but it seemed to be entirely sealed off by hills that were shooting up at straight angles. After hours of searching, I came across a slim trail leading up a slightly sloped hill. I breathed in relief, as I had found a way out of the enclosed valley.

I reached the top, and of all the strange things, there was a small town sitting right on a flat parcel on the hill. The feeling of a bed sounded so great to me. I walked in the town through the only entrance. It was like a ghost town. I saw nobody walking about the area. I went directly to the inn. The doors were old and cracked pieces of wood, and the outside of the inn was covered so deep in dust, it was impossible to tell what it might have looked like when it was first built.

I walked through the doors, and sitting at a counter, smoking a long wooden pipe; was a strange looking woman. She only wore old rags that were ripped from top to bottom. Her hair was dirty and crimped… almost as if she stuck her head in the middle of a funnel cloud. She was restive, and her hands were steadily jittering.

"Well, well, a late traveler." She said to me very loudly, as she blew out a cloud of smoke and then looked at me with her eyes in a delirious state. She quickly gave me a fake and anxious smile.

"Um… Good evening Mam." I said as I cleared my throat. "I was wondering where I am."

"Kanyon Oasis." She said coughing. "The Social State of Kanyon Oasis is the _official_ name, but that's a hunk of shit."

"Social?" I said surprised, as I had heard that word maybe once in my life. "You mean you are your own government?"

"No. Our community is socialist, isolationist, whatever you wanna call it. But we still answer to Kahn. His officers inspect us weekly, you know the drill." Her voice sank to an utter as she continued to smoke her pipe.

"I suppose by that, you mean Shao Kahn?" I asked as I leaned forward.

She jumped out of her seat and leaned in my face. "NO!!! The other savage who sits in his palace all day and waits for the opportunity to kill anyone... just for his own blood lust. That other pathetic excuse for a living thing that burns down whole cities just to kill one person. Who are you, asking something like that? Are you one of those cave creeps from earth realm?"

I leaned back with my hands up, just trying to make sense out of what just happened. "Listen." I muttered calmly. "Can I just get a room?" She sat back down in her chair and took yet another pull of smoke. "Five koins." She stuttered with her eyes moving all over her head.

I put the koins on the table and she gave me a key. I started to walk away when she yelled to me, "Wanna hit?" As she held up her very interesting looking pipe.

"Enjoy yourself." I said as I walked up the stairs. The woman was very obviously unstable, and I don't think whatever it was she was smoking was helping her condition. I got to the hotel room with my number on it. 174 was the number of the door if I remember correctly.

I opened the door, and put my travel sack on the hardwood floor. The room had chunks of the wall and floor missing. All that was in the room was a rough bed, a blurry, cracked window and a small water closet. I sat on the bed and just let my mind work. I thought away, and tried to think about my next move. I HAD to do something where I could put my gift to use. And I didn't mean watering crops and catching fish. I meant something big.

I got to sleep after a while, and had vague, unmemorable dreams. It was around four a.m. when I was awakened by a thunder storm. I had never seen one so close, and never one like this. I walked over to the window and began to watch. It was dancing, just dancing around the plains outside of the town. I heard voices outside. Beautiful voices of a language that I didn't understand. I knew they calling to me however. I put my hand on the window, and didn't even need to think twice.

I widened my eyes, and ran out of my room, down the stairs, and out the back door. I put my arms up as the rain drenched itself upon my shoulders. The voices grew louder, and were speaking to me in such a ravishing tone, that although I didn't understand it, I started to repeat whatever they said.

The lightning collapsed all over the hilltop, and it seemed to want to stay in my area. I put me knees down on the gravel and my hands on my thighs, and began to meditate, as I used to in the temple of the elder gods. I closed my eyes, and centered myself with the storm and the beautiful voices.

I became the storm; I became the rain, I became each lightning bolt that hit the ground. My mind felt as if it was being replenished. Then, the most beautiful of all the voices spoke to me, but in the common tongue. "It is your servant, it is your inspiration, it is your gift from the sky, and it will be your guardian for the years arise."

I opened my eyes, and raised my arm up. I waited, and waited, and waited in the soaking rain. The next thing I knew, a lightning bolt was landing directly in front of my feat. The voice said it again. "It is your servant, it is your inspiration, it is your gift of the sky, and it will be your guardian for the years arise."

The lightning began to strike more rapidly, as if It was speaking to me as well. Every bolt was striking within a few meters of me now. I stood to my feet with my left arm raised. I summoned the lightning to my grasp. At my feat, behind my back, into my hand. The lightning fulmination was at my command. I raised my other arm, and summoned heavy blasts all around me. The voices continued their council. I couldn't understand all but one of them, but I could feel their auspices entering my vitality. As I continued to call upon the electricity and let it strike in a coil around my anatomy, the rain began to fade, but I let the lightning remain around me. The voices faded, and the one who I could understand repeated one last time, "It is your servant, it is your inspiration, it is your gift of the sky and it will be your guardian for the years arise."

I finally discontinued my lightning enclosure, and let the final bolts dig themselves into the ground. I sat down, as the day began to grow light. I couldn't believe it, but I had been in the storm for over two hours. I watched the sunrise, and as it began to peak, I continued to think of what I was going to do and where I was going to go. At this moment, it didn't matter.

My chi had grown even stronger within the course of a night. Now, not only was I a creator of water, the ale of the Elder gods. But also, a summoner of lightning, the defense of the skies. I decided my next move would be to get out of Kanyon Oasis. I needed to find something or someone that could use me and my abilities for a useful purpose. But for the time being, all I had was the road ahead of me. And the only way it was going to get shorter was by walking on it.


	5. Right Direction, Wrong Decisision

** Rain: **_**A Manifesto**_

_Right Direction, Wrong Decision_

Now restocked on supplies, I obtained directions and a map from a townsperson. I was on my way out of Kanyon Oasis first thing in the morning. I chose to continue up the hill in which the settlement rested on. It was a long and tiring trip up. The rocks were pointed and it was difficult to get a hand on them without cutting myself. The climate was growing cold and the air was becoming thin.

Despite the harsh climb, I eventually hit the top of the sandy and rocky summit after an all day climb. The sun was just setting, and it was stupendously exquisite from that height. I sat down on top of the hill panting away like a wild pig. I could see for miles and miles. It was a beautiful view. I looked in all directions to see what lay in each possible path. The east was where I had just come from; the west seemed to be all desert and plains; the north looked mountainous and frozen; and all I could see in the south was a swamp, spanning as far as the eye can see. I examined the map for many hours. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that if I went west, I would eventually end up in the core convergence point of Outworld. North would lead me to where it looked like it would lead me; a never ending blizzard. The map wasn't very clear on where I would end up if I went south. Most of the map seemed to be blank of labels in the southern vicinity of Outworld, as if it was mostly unoccupied and unexplored.

I munched down a few crackers, had some sips of warm water and decided it would probably be best to head West into Outworld's center. But as I finished my thought, a strong wind was blowing from all directions. I was being rocked around heavily and I held on to a large stone to keep myself from falling off the hilltop.

"Your reasoning is deficient." I heard a powerful voice roar as the wind died.

I hopped to my feet and turned towards the shadow that spoke to me. "Who are you?" I said prepared to summon a storm upon this figure speaking to me.

"Collect yourself, vernal one." The man said tranquilly. "West is not where your interests lie."

I dropped my arms and relaxed myself. "What do you mean not where I want to go…WAIT…HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT…?" I yelled as I realized I had never even spoken my thoughts.

"Your will is very easy to read, Rain." He promptly answered as he stepped into the light. His eyes had no color. They were simply all white. His skin was of a tan color and was lucidly stretched as his muscle was popping out from underneath. He was soaring, leaning over me by at least five or six inches, and his clothing was of a royal maroon silk, finished off with a heavy gold belt and long silver ponytail. "You have no skill in fighting at all. You are not ready to face what lies in Outworld's core." The man said as he stood tall with his arms crossed.

I was still astounded by the man's voice, which sounded like it was coming from the power of a thousand soldiers, and his guise which was that of a king. "I… I can fight." I said without really thinking, with my mind still glued to the man's appearance of pure fortitude.

The man sighed, and raised his arms into a fighting position. "Come on then." He said boastfully. I summoned a lightning bolt from the sky, but the man literally flew out of the way and landed behind me. I hurled a blind punch at him, but he grabbed my arm and tossed me to the ground.

I turned to the side, and grabbed my back to make sure it wasn't broken. He offered me a hand as I lay in pain. I quickly accepted and he brought me to my feet as a quiet gust of wind blew through his long hair.

"Who are you?" I asked tensely as I scratched my neck.

"I am Fujin, God of Wind." The man said as he bowed his head. "I have been following you closely, ever since your Edenian childhood and you are an extraordinary living soul. Although my jurisdiction is only in earthrealm, I must sometimes concern myself with the occurrences of other realms. This time, that occurrence is you."

My first dilemma was comprehending exactly what was happening to me at this moment. Was I really speaking to a god? Could he be lying? No, he couldn't be lying. He read my thoughts, knew my name, and he knew events of my past. I knew in my soul that I was actually speaking to a god.

"Lord Fujin, I am at your command." I uttered as I bowed my head to waste level.

"I ask not for idolization, only for immersion." Fujin asserted with his vigorous, yet placid voice.

"Yes, Lord Fujin." I said as I came back to my feet.

"Before you drag yourself into the heart of conflict, you must attain knowledge of the great art of kombat. You must combine the skill of a warrior with your endowment from those who reside in The Void."

"Then which way am I to go?"

"Go South, through the Outworld swamps. That path will eventually lead to patches of grassland and tall mountains. There are several towns within these mountain passes. Within some of these towns are masters of martial arts. Find these masters and show them your abilities. They will teach you."

"I will do so, Lord Fujin." I said again with another bow.

"One more thing," he said as I raised myself to a standing position. "Beware of the shadows lurking within the regions in which you are walking. They are quick and cunning. If they see you wandering their lands, they will attack you and they will do it swiftly."

"Thank you for the guidance, my lord." I said with one more bow.

"Farewell, Rain. Volition is yours. Hold it strong." Fujin replied as he bowed in return.

Fujin stretched his arms away from his body. Very quickly, a tornado formed around him, and swept the god into the air. Within seconds, Fujin faded into the distance before my eyes. A god had found interest in me. I felt very impressed with myself at that moment in time.

Shortly after my encounter with the god, I decided to get some rest before I continued my travels. After a few hours of rest, I was up and ready to go before daybreak.

I gathered my belongings, and prepared for my journey south. I slid down the tall hill steadily and cautiously. It wasn't as steep as the other side, so it made the way down rather easy and quick.

When I reached the bottom, all that stood in front of me was fog. The haze was so thick that when I extended my hand in front of me, it was no longer visible to my eyes. The laid back feeling of going down the hill had ever so quickly turned into eeriness and uneasiness as I stood in the fog.

Although unsure and panicked, I relaxed myself and began to walk forward, trotting my way through the mist, looking for some kind of path. After several minutes, one of my feet splashed into shallow water. I had found the swamps. I walked slowly along the barely visible line between the water and the land until I found a natural pathway, leading across the swamp.

The pathway seemed to be less foggy for some reason, so I could at least slightly see where I was walking. There was hardly any greenery, and every step I took, all I heard was either the cracking of dead grass, or the echo of loose stones. I walked forward, carefully, and evenly as I didn't want to lose either my sense of direction or my footing on the unreliable pathway.

It was around midday, when I started hearing slight splashes in the water. I grew anxious, and decided I would take a break from walking the path. I put a stick on the ground so I could remember which way to go. I then started a small fire and sat in front of it to stay warm in the cold depths of this glade.

After about an hour, I could no longer hear the odd splashes, and the mist somewhat started to clear. I gathered my sack of food and supplies and continued to walk down the swamp area.

Walking through the swamp seemed almost like a meaningless and chilling hallucination. There was nothing new in any step I took. It felt as if I wasn't gaining any ground. Everything on the path seemed similar to what I had just passed. Too similar in fact. I eventually realized a pattern. Bolder, grassland, stump, moss, grassland, bolder, moss, bolder.

"Am I going in circles?" I asked myself. 'How?' I thought in response. I was going in a straight line the whole time. Could the swamp be playing some kind of mind trick on me? But why wouldn't Fujin have warned me about that?

As I continued walking and asking myself questions, an impulsive answer came to my head. What if the shadows that Fujin was referring to was magic created by the swamp? It was a possibility, so I chose to sprint as fast as I could, attempting to outrun this "spell." After only a few minutes, I could finally see the end of the swamps in the distance. "Oh, pleasant land," I said to myself as I sank back to a walking pace. "Shadows? No challenge." I bragged to myself as I yawned.

No more than an hour later, I was getting very close to dry land. I had a slight smirk, as I felt I had handled this part of my quest flawlessly. But, how wrong can a living consciousness be?

I heard footsteps. However, I couldn't tell where they were coming from. I dropped my travel sack, and put my arms up, ready for an attack. I started strafing around, looking for the source of these fast moving steps. They were however, untraceable.

I continued to turn my head as the steps were getting louder and closer. My spine tingled and cold sweat dripped from my forehead. I created an orb of water in the palm of my hand, slowly letting it expand.

Moments later, the footsteps suddenly stopped. I stayed in my spot, waiting for whatever was surrounding me to show itself. As a whistling wind blew through my face, the steps started again. Getting louder, and louder, and louder. It was then that they appeared. Three figures, dressed in dark garments with their mouths covered, running toward me at full flight.

"Down with him!" One of them yelled with a blood thirsty battle cry.

I raised my orb of water and prepared it for release. When the attackers were at the appropriate distance, I launched the orb from my grip, and the impact sent one of my attackers spiraling into the swamp.

The other two charged at me and executed very perfect combinations attacks on my upper body. I fell to the ground in pain. But it had to be ignored, as one of them attempted to stomp on my face. I rolled to the side just before impact would have hit. I hopped back to my feet and backed away from the warriors. They then once again attacked me as a team. I couldn't take both of them, so I jumped to the side before they executed another strike.

They then attempted another attack, but I jumped backwards, nearly landing in the swamp. It was then that I realized that my kombatants were using a one-two combination system. The first fighter to attack was the diversion, while the second was the one that delivered the devastating blows.

When the warriors attacked again, I slid out of the way of the first attacker, and landed a powerful roundhouse kick on the second attacker. He lay; weary on the ground, squirming for consciousness.

It was now just I and my last enemy facing each other off now. I noticed he had gold marks on his garments that the other two men didn't have.

"You cannot win, boy." Said the man as he circled me. "Surrender, and I will kill you with mercy."

I didn't respond to his words, and simply singled him to try to attack me. He flipped high in the air, and executed a flying kick that was aimed toward my face. Although I raised my arms to block, the impact still knocked my back off my balance. This man was obviously far more skilled than me as far as fighting. I would have to out smart him.

He charged again, this time with two elbows, and a kick to the head. All landed, and blood began to leak from my skin. I had to think fast, so I raised water out from under my feet and flew toward the warrior. My attack landed on his chest, but it had minimal effect on his pain senses. I tried a sweep kick down low, but he grabbed my leg and through me over his back.

I picked myself up and looked for some kind of weapon I could use against him. I picked up a small rock, and threw it at him. But he simply caught it and tossed it to the side. I raised myself to my feet and prepared for his next move. He unexpectedly slid in close to me, using the mud on the path. He grabbed my neck with one hand and held me above the ground.

"Weakness is a horrible crime." Grumbled the man through his mask as his eyes turned red with rage. "Would you like to confess?" He rhetorically asked as he drew a blade from his belt.

I kicked him in the stomach with force, and managed to loosen his grip on me just enough for me to slip free.

"Why confess to a guilty jury?" I screamed as I unleashed a powerful lightning bolt upon the attacker and he came flying up above me, before smacking the ground with a crunch. He gasped a few short breaths, and they would indeed be his last as he tilted his head back and life left his body.

My victory was short lived, as the other two who I had previously incapacitated were now awake and ready for vengeance. I was completely out of energy. From the unnecessary sprint earlier and the fight I was just in. I was pretty banged up as well. I had to think of something fast.

I tried to release another water orb, but they were expecting it this time and moved out of the way. Just before they struck, I released another lightning bolt, only skimming one of them, but enough to keep him on the ground for a few seconds. The other warrior and I began to fight. He wasn't nearly as strong as the one I had killed moments ago. I was able to block his combinations with ease. Eventually, he grew impatient and threw a bad punch at me. I managed to maneuver away from it, and deliver an elbow to his head.

I had two of them down and one of them dead. But, once again, my victory never managed to cross my mind. A fist flew into my jaw and my blood came spilling onto the ground. I looked up, looking for a fourth bandit, but I could see none. Another fist hit me, this time in the ribs. Then four more in the ribs. Next were two kicks to the head that knocked me flat out to the ground.

My vision was getting blurred, as I saw a figure standing above me appearing out of thin air slowly, changing colors as he became more visible. The other two appeared next to him. My vision was getting dull and my hearing was fading. All I heard was:

"Well, let's kill him!" One of the attackers said.

"NO!" Said the one who overpowered me while he was invisible. "He killed Baidon. We're taking him to the grand master. He will be… interested."

My consciousness then faded into darkness.


	6. Absolutism and Betrayal

**Rain:**_** A Manifesto**_

_Absolutism and Betrayal_

I awoke, stiff and chilled. My eyes were open but I could see nothing. I veered off my back and looked forward, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness. The ground that I was on was a cold metal. As my vision began to return, I noticed that the ceiling was only about nine feet tall. I stretched my limbs and pulled myself to my feet. I steadily took a few strides forward, only to be stopped by bars between me and a hallway that I could not quite see; as my eyes were not fully focused yet.

I quickly realized that I was in a containment cell. I then remembered my encounter with the men in the swamps, and my disgraceful defeat at the hands of the warrior who could camouflage himself. I stepped away from the bars, slowly moving toward the back of the cell. As I neared the back wall, I tripped over something and landed back on the cold steel. I picked up what I had tripped on, and as if I wasn't in enough shock already… a human skull lay in the palm of my hand.

I ran back toward the front of the cell and rest my head on the bars. "By the gods." I whispered to myself as I squinted my eyelids. "Oh, by the elder gods!" I let out in a raging barrage.

"Hey, boy." A voice called to me from across the hall. "Stop your yowling or the guards will do it for you."

I lifted my head and saw the outline of a man in the cell across from me. His voice was rough and low.

"Where am I?" I asked as I wiped a handful of sweat of my forehead.

"You are in the fortress of the Iga-Koga Society." The man answered quickly and surely. "Must've done something they didn't like if you ended up here. But they only bring you here if they feel you are valuable."

"Does that mean we live?" I asked hopefully.

"Probably not. Most likely they're going to ask us some questions, get their answers, and then kill us when they have what they need. What's the difference between then and now right?" He said with a dry laugh.

I closed my eyes in gloom as I rested my back against the wall near the front of the cell and closed my eyes, attempting to forget what was around me. Eventually, I fell into an uneasy sleep.

I was soon awakened by the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway. Two men dressed in garments similar to those worn by the bandits in the swamp stopped in front of my cell and stood tall with their arms crossed.

"Get up." One of them hissed as he slid a key into the keyhole.

I obeyed and rose to my feet. The cell door opened and one of the two men grabbed the back of my neck and pushed me in the direction of their choice. I could see the man from the cell across from mine peeking out with his eyes widened.

The apparent guards pushed me at full strength through the depths of the dungeons. Almost every cell showed me a face of pain, terror and sorrow. I tried to avoid looking into any of the cells, for it just made me sick.

Eventually, I was forced to a flight of stairs. About half way up, I slipped and fell forward. "Get up!" Yelled one of the guards as he kicked me in my already run-down ribs. I gasped for air and held on to my rib cage with all the strength I had left.

They once again grabbed me by the back of the neck and continued to thrust me up the stairs. At last, they had taken me to the top. They opened the doorway that exited the dungeon and outside was another dark hallway lit by bright torches. They continued to push me, although more subtly now that they were in the presents of other masked men.

They led me through the long hallways to a black marble doorway, plated with gold on the outer frame. One guard pushed open the door, while the other kicked me inside the room.

I lay face first on the cold floor. "Escorts, you are dismissed." I heard a crackled and low-pitched voice assert. The men who "_escorted_" me slammed the door behind them as they strolled out of the chamber. I lifted my head, and in front of me was a man in a black robe and mask with similar attire of the other men in the fortress. He appeared old, as his visible skin was wrinkled and timeworn.

"Please stand." The man requested as he leaned back in his thrown.

I managed to pull myself up despite my much compromised body. I held my ribs and waited for this man to kill me.

"Please forgive my men for attacking you. They were returning from a mission and assumed you a spy."

'He is asking me to forgive him?' I thought. 'He must be warming me up before my painful interrogation.'

"We believe it is better to take a chance on killing someone than to take a chance letting them live." The man continued as he got out of his thrown and walked down the set of stairs to my level. "Now, my men tell me that you killed Baidon."

My brain caught fire as I thought this would definitely be my death worthy crime. He continued to give me an emotionless and blank stare. His gaze involuntarily made me shake in terror. "I'm… I… I…"

"Baidon was one of our best assassins." Asserted the man. "He was undefeated in battle."

I stood silently as he walked towards me into the light. "I am Grandmaster of The Iga-Koga Society. We are the paladins of the shadows, the executioners of progressivism, the guardians of the Imperial Sovereignty of Outworld! Now held by the discombobulation of Shao Kahn!" His antagonized emotions flowed through his voice as his eyes sharpened themselves, piercing my vision as they undressed my concealed tremor.

He moved closer in towards me. "The men tell me that you have power over water and lightning. Those are rare elemental abilities indeed." He said with a more relaxed tone. The room grew silent except for the crackling of the torches on the wall. "Show me." He ordered as the door behind me opened. A single guard walked through the door pushing a prisoner.

As they came closer, I saw that the prisoner was the man across from me in the dungeon. "Kill him. And do it swiftly." Said the grandmaster as he placed his hands behind his back and stood erect.

"I invite you to join our cause." He unsheathed his concealed sword and raised it above his head. "Do you accept?"

I glanced into the prisoner's eyes. They were taken by fear and enhanced by shock. Was I prepared to give my life for the sake of not having to take another?

No. I was not. I extended my arm and closed my eyes so I did not have to look into the prisoner's. I sent a lightning bold crashing through the open window and into the defenseless captive's body. I heard an entrenching scream and a sluggish fall to the floor. I slowly lifted my head and opened my eyes. The guard was standing over the prisoner with his hands out in a disoriented manner. The prisoner lay dead in front of him; his skin still smoking and melting.

As I stood still, increasingly disgusted with myself, the grandmaster slowly stepped close to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "Your response is satisfying." He rendered as he was visibly smirking under his mask.

His words meant nothing to me however. The smell of burnt flesh was ever so close to causing me immediate sickness. I grew weak-kneed as the site of the melted body burned into my eyes. The feeling of taking a life is indescribable. It was different when it was the men in the swamp. They attacked me, I was only defending myself. This man on the other hand, had never done me any kind of wrong before. He was just a terrified, defenseless conscious life.

"Your training begins now." Said the grandmaster. "Chameleon!" He called as he glanced towards the back of the room. An invisible figure appeared from thin air from out of the shadows and began to walk towards me. He was indeed the same warrior who put me out of commission in the swamp.

"It is my pleasure to introduce you to your new student…" The grandmaster awaited my continuation of his sentence.

"Rain." I blurted out as soon as I realized that he was looking for my name.

"This is Chameleon, our most valuable assassin. He will train you in the essential techniques of kombat and form you into one of the greatest warriors that the Iga-Koga has ever bred."

I was instantly instilled with fear at the site of Chameleon. His eyes, his skin and his wardrobe were in a consistent pattern of changing color; many of them very vibrant. He was possibly the most physically fit being I had ever seen at the time. That's when a query came to me, was kind of a being was he? He was definitely not an Outworlder, nor a Tarkatan, nor a Shokan or Vampire. His scaled skin and glowing eyes gave me the impression of some sort of… reptilian creature.

"It will be difficult to train such an unfit individual, but I will replenish his figure and enhance his strength. His abilities however, are undoubtedly apparent." Chameleon spoke softly but seemed to draw out his "s" sounds slightly, almost like a snake hissing. He also had a tone of bitterness and rage buried within the sound of his rasped voice.

"Very well." The grandmaster said quickly as he turned his back and sat in his raised throne. "I then leave the student to you, Chameleon."

Chameleon bowed to the Grandmaster; therefore I took a clue and did the same. My new trainer and I walked back out into the hall and as we made our way through the aisles, he spoke quickly. "Your first assignment is to get some rest, and meet me in the Eastern training room at dawn. If you are late, you will be punished with a sparring match against me. If you are early, you will be rewarded with a sparring match against me."

I thought for a minute and then smiled slightly at the humor in Chameleon's statement. "Yes master." I answered stiffly.

"No titles." Chameleon responded immediately. "I want no kind of friendship or master-student interaction with you other than training. If you want a friend, talk to the prisoners in the cells."

"Yes mast… I mean Chameleon." I said as I was quick to correct myself.

"Student quarters are on the 4th floor. Your barracks are in the Kaiden room. Sleep off your pains and be ready for tomorrow."

Before I could look towards Chameleon and speak again, he was gone. He simply vanished from sight. I looked around that area for a minute before deciding to move on.

I walked up the stairs, exploring the scripture and art on the walls as I moved. They looked like they had been inscribed many years ago. The scripture was of a language I had never seen before and the paint looked very aged. I reached the fourth floor and continued down the hallways. Each room had a strange name. Titles such as Locus, Tao Feng, Natarn. None of these words had any meaning to me.

Eventually, I reached the Kaiden room. I slowly crept in through the cracked door, and tip toed to an open bunk. About half of the beds were empty and every student in the room was asleep. I quietly patted the bed down, lifted up the ragged sheet and lay down in a bed for the first time in what seemed like years.

I don't know how I managed to fall asleep that night. I am still to this day overwhelmed by all that had happened to me at once in two days. It was the first time that I had met the other side of me that I didn't know existed. I had only known myself as a courteous and consciences individual. But it was on that night that I seized my first sense of betrayal. And I reveled in it.


End file.
